What are the best kinds of jobs in China? I have to make a d...

I think I understand it when you say, 'the best jobs' you mean the choice between university and public school. I have been in China for the last 3 years and have worked in public schools and regular private academies... haven't worked at a university. To choose between the two does not only depend on salary. How about your choice of age level and/or proficiency level. Public primary, middle and high school could be very large class. I have taught classes with 63 students. The smallest class I have had was 43 students strong. Also, based on my experience, on my third year I was assigned to a 'smaller' town where about have of the students are from small villages with hardly any English background. While the interest level was there, I was relatively inefficient because I can't speak OR understand Chinese when there was absolute need for them to ask questions. Other variables are the standard of living. Working for 15000RMB/month in Beijing is comparable to working for 5500RMB somewhere in rural Sichuan Province. Also, health-wise be very careful about choosing cities as many have very poor air quality.

I was working in China during two years at University, about basic things I agree with Dan Oville. Evidently you will never find class at university (in general) with 63 students, uff, I believe to choose job at university will be more convenient in your case, in order to adapt yourself more quickly at new atmosphere, evidently will depends also wether you prefer working in Beijing, shanghai or similar, or in province, there are a sharp contrast, even is seems you are in different country. Last years chinese schools and universities have changed rules about teachers, there are more exigent offices, they want to be sure to hire a good teacher and not a "tourist" who travel to China for some days, attend and interview and them decide to leave without any answer (very common in the past). If you decide travel, don't forget ask for invitation, then prepare your visa, and have good luck. It's worth to visiting China, however if you are fresh in Asia take care about which place you accept.

Unis pay a lot less than international schools, but the teaching demand is considerably lower. Being new to China, I would suggest a uni. Your basic needs will be taken care of and you will have much more free time to learn Chinese and to start to adapt to the culture.

My name is Ramin. I'm 35, I'm from Iran, It's been for 15 years now I'm teaching English , I love teaching it's in fact every thing in my life, making interaction among students to learn English is the best award in my life. I have never thought about the amount of salary so far, I know every where on this global the teachers' salary is always low. but spending time with students as an English Teacher who wants to make challenges among students to learn something is my world.

Interesting dilemma! On the face of it, both are relatively stable options. Either of them could turn out okay. But I don't know enough details to comment on the specific school or university. What I will say is that you should insist on being put in contact with a WESTERN TEACHER who is working there now. Do for both jobs if possible. I taught in a Chinese university and was appreciated and successful. But there was one younger teacher who was fired for missing classes. He was more interested in partying every night and chasing prostitutes. I did well-but I was responsible and I had been given lots of feedback from one of the teachers, so I knew what to expect. Later I taught in Beijing in middle and high schools in Beijing. It was not good. I signed up to a programme recently set up by Beijing's Chaoyang District, and they are very sketchy. I didn't like them at all. Don't work with them! For example, I was given one day to find an apartment. Usually public school jobs will give you free housing, but in Beijing I had to pay 7 month's rent in 60 days, and 4 months of that on day one. Beijing rents can be sky high! It felt like TOKYO. I started in September. The following March they extended my contract. I was getting lots and lots of positive feedback about my teaching. Then for something quite small, I was dropped in June. The capital is a lot harsher than the rest of China, even if you are doing well in the classroom. A friend mentioned that the university jobs in Beijing pay a small salary that would be okay in Henan or Anhui, but is contemptible in Beijing. I also have to confess that I found Beijing was a lot less fun outside of work than other places I have been.

I can offer you my take on public schools in China, but not universities. Pay is around 8,000 Yuan for starters (in third tier cities) and should probably include accommodation, airport pickup and orientation. The schools vary in size. My second school in Yunnan had 5,000 students and three foreign teachers, working the middle and high schools. It had an excellent dining hall with great food. The school itself needed some tlc which it duly got just after the summer holidays. Class sizes range from 35-56 for example, which can be very trying, especially if you have a plan to make every student speak in a meaningful way and in some kind of order, by column layout for example. The classrooms in public school usually have computers, whiteboards, chalkboards, and projectors, however they are usually covered in dust and sometimes can have an issue with sound/video or bloatware slowdown. Maintenance of the computers could be a priority for the school in all honesty. Of course they are in the Chinese language but you get accustomed to it. if you use MS Powerpoint or Media Player it's no big issue. Bear in mind that some of the computers will have alternative media and office players/suites. Classes are normally 45 minutes and a bell rings when its officially time to leave. You should course keep timings as part of your daily schedule, especially for large class sizes and if you have a specific plan in mind that requires precision timings. As for kids, its easy to generalise of course, but the majority of them do try and do what you ask them. Naturally, English is not their priority and unfortunately you will have kids sleeping before and sometimes sleeping/resting in your class. It's just the nature of the beast. It is a chance for some students to take a rest before chemistry or math. BE MINDFUL THAT THESE KIDS HAVE A STACK OF BOOKS TO GET THROUGH which they keep neatly stacked on their desks! THEY WILL SKIMP ON YOUR CLASSES IF THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT AS WELL. However, public school teaching can be fun and rewarding if not financially, and you can use it as a springboard for jobs on the side, contacts made and enhancing CVs. Although public school teaching can be frustrating, the majority of the time it is rewarding and I have had some fantastic classes where the kids showed great willingness, keenness and really tried to speak English, as best they could. So all in all I would recommend working in Chinese public schools. Hope this helps. best Carl, Yunnan

A private internation school is the best, in terms of annual holidays such as getting 2 weeks off at Christmas. Also the students come from middle class families so 'usually', the standard of school kid is better. I say usually with inverted commas, as it can also lead to spoilt brats who can make a teacher's life a misery however cannot argue with the annual holidays if choosing a private international school. there are quite a few in and around the Shanghai/Suzhou/Hangzhou area. Pay is usually better as well.